Species: Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
Family: Asparagus and allies (ASPARAGACEAE)
Category: Flowering Plants
Location: S
A. Flowering Plants
More extensive information on flowering plants can be found in a separate blog post.
B. Asparagus and allies (ASPARAGACEAE)
This is a huge, diverse family that includes a number of familiar garden bulb cultivars.
C. Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
Native English bluebells (as opposed to the hybrid 'Spanish Bluebell') can still be found, often forming extensive carpets in deciduous woodlands. More frequently, their place is being taken by the Spanish Bluebell, which is certainly the case in the Cemetery.
The (non-Spanish, English) Bluebell flowers from just one side of the stem. Spanish ones have flowers from all sides. Their flowers also have parallel sides, whereas those of the Spanish variety splay out. The flower heads of English Bluebells droop much more than those of the Spanish. Ultimately, there is the sniff test that can be applied because Spanish Bluebells have no scent. Finally, the tips of the English Bluebell's flowers revolute, meaning they roll back from the tip.
These differences can be hard to discern. However, we can be sure that several individual Bluebell plants in the Cemetery are of the English type, as a few have been bought from specialist supplies and reintroduced. These Native bluebells are protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.
Images
Bluebell
The (non-Spanish, English) Bluebell flowers from just one side of the stem. Spanish ones have flowers from all sides. Their flowers also have parallel sides, whereas those of the Spanish variety splay out. The flower heads of English Bluebells droop much more than those of the Spanish. Finally, the tips of the English Bluebell's flowers revolute, meaning they roll back from the tip.
White Bluebell
A rare genetic mutation causes Bluebells to emerge as white-flowered Bluebells. One estimate is that this happens once for every 10,000 blues.
In April 2022, this beautiful clump of white-flowered Bluebells emerged. We think that they may be the English variety, as they appear to satisfy the criteria described above, but who knows? Their beauty alone is sufficient.
Bluebell
The (non-Spanish, English) Bluebell flowers from just one side of the stem. Spanish ones have flowers from all sides. Their flowers also have parallel sides, whereas those of the Spanish variety splay out. The flower heads of English Bluebells droop much more than those of the Spanish. Finally, the tips of the English Bluebell's flowers revolute, meaning they roll back from the tip.
